Reports that should be reviewed annually and will require data to be built over time include the following.

·                    Discard tread utilization: Use this report to determine what percentage of purchased tires are used (on average) when the tires come out of service. The report also should show the associated realized costs and dollars lost to early failure.

·                    Discarded tires damage code analysis: Once you have determined what percentage of tires is being used, it is important to find out why tires are being lost early. You should be able to look at what percentage of tires is worn out, rock cut, or fail due to workmanship and materials. Other metrics to look for include hours achieved per category, all condition hours, and tread depth remaining.

·                    Tires out of service: Take a closer look at any batch of tires and see a tire-by-tire and a batch average of why tires came out of service, the cost per hour, average hours, etc.

·                    Tire damage by vehicle: View out-of-service tires by vehicle to determine if particular vehicles/drivers have issues. Opportunities for further training or vehicle maintenance will become apparent.

At the end of the day, data will abound. The key is to narrow the focus to key management reports that yield actionable information. Having a tire expert in the form of a local service dealer and/or manufacturer’s representative will provide the necessary interpretation to turn the data into reduced costs. Remember that all of the data in the world will not result in lower costs if the information is not communicated and acted upon. Before the data can be analyzed, it must exist. Happy tracking!

Chris Rhoades is the TreadStat product manager. He has been with Bridgestone Americas Off Road for 10 years and oversees development, support, training, and implementation.